Being the child of "hippie parents" I feel uniquely qualified to review the newest North Bay installment of Café Gratitude (there are two in San Francisco and one in Berkeley) which serves entirely vegan, raw and (mostly) "live foods." For many this place will take a little getting used to--but because of my unconventional upbringing my visits felt, well, familiar. Not only were my bohemian parents buying organic fruits and vegetables long before it was "the right thing to do," but my mother was also a vegetarian. Once she discovered the cookbook Laurel's Kitchen, macaroni and cheese was soon replaced with miso soup and lentil ragus. My brothers and I were routinely treated to experimental casseroles filled with Swiss chard, millet, bulgur and other unrecognizable beans and grains purchased in bulk from our local food co-operative. An avocado cheesecake made with whipped tofu and an all-cashew nut and buckwheat flour crust stands out in my memory.But Café Gratitude is not just about the food. As owner Mathew Engelhart describes his labor of love, "It is an experiment in sacred commerce." According to its Web site, the café is "our expression of a world of plenty. Our food and people are a celebration of our aliveness. Our food is prepared with love. We invite you to step inside and enjoy being someone who chooses; loving your life, adoring yourself, accepting the world, being generous and grateful everyday, and experiencing being provided for. Have fun and enjoy nourishing yourself." Did I mention it's not just about the food?
The minute you step inside the Miracle Mile space, which has housed a revolving stream of tenants (most recently the short lived Flying Pig) a smiling server will earnestly seat you at one of the brightly colored lacquered tables. The space lends itself well to a casual café concept with a counter in the back of the large room that overlooks the kitchen. A notable round skylight surrounded by sky-blue walls and painted clouds draws your eyes upward to a circular-domed window with encouraging stenciled words to live and eat by.
An ambitious menu of more than 100 items--all boasting titles such as, "I am fabulous," "I am passionate," I am delicious"--includes everything from lasagna, soups and smoothies to blue green algae elixirs. For instance, should you want a frosty mocha smoothie ($7), the menu would direct you to say, "I am lusciously awake" (because that's what the smoothie is called--get it?). In turn the server repeats this back to you affirming that you are indeed lusciously awake. There was a time when my cynicism would have gotten the better of me, and I would have scoffed at such new-age tactics, but now I find the whole well-intentioned concept simply amusing. As for the food, it's hit and miss. When raw food was just entering the mainstream, quite often it would be very salty or tasted of one of the prepackaged spice combinations such as Spike or Veggie Salt--surely an attempt to give the often bland grains some flavor. At Café Gratitude the flavor is there, but it's not always a very good flavor. The "I am fabulous" lasagna ($12) was a small wedge of zucchini noodles layered with cashew ricotta cheese, tomatoes, basil pesto and marinara. As is often the case with raw-food preparation--it is heavy handed. The odd texture of the cashews combined with a pungent pesto, gave it an overwrought, overworked flavor. I would have liked to taste the zucchini and tomatoes, instead, it was bogged down by cashews and too much pesto. The "I am thankful" ($7) Thai coconut soup was better with a creamy coconut base and a mildly spicy curry. I also enjoyed the "I am whole" ($10) bowl of quinoa, steamed kale and kim chee sprouts. Kale shows up on the menu frequently. I ordered a bowl of the marinated green and sea veggie salad a.k.a. "I am giving ($10). As I chewed and chewed on the herbaceous salad that comes dotted with crunchy tamari almonds and a choice of hemp seed Ranch dressing, I was repeatedly reminded by our server that I was "giving." To enjoy a quiet cup of tea here--when the staff is so intent on nourishing and celebrating you--can be somewhat challenging. It is also a challenging option for kids. Unless they are accustomed to quinoa, live crackers or spicy kale, Café Gratitude is a dicey option for youngsters. I can't quite explain the look on my son's face when his "I am passionate" ($10) pizza arrived. A cracker crust of flax seed and various nuts were spread with an olive tapenade and then piled high with a mound of greens and drizzled with a tahini yogurt dressing--a delicious combo for sophisticated palates, but something that might require some forewarning if you're going to bring the brood. (Fortunately, the tasty "I am berry sweet"($7) smoothie of almond milk, dates and fresh strawberries went over without a hitch.)
And then there's the service. A friend said it took her waiter 45 minutes to take her order because he was teaching another group "the game." Oh yeah, the game. That would be the Abounding River board game sold by Café Gratitude. According to our server it helps people to discover a spiritual foundation that opens up to a whole new way of looking at money and resources. But, back to the service. It is casual and borders on solicitous. Actually, it's just downright solicitous (I suppose that is the intention here). Twice our waiter sat down at our table. Another one passed around shot glasses of complimentary wheat-grass juice and then proceeded to try to sell me the supplements.
Even for this hippie child, Café Gratitude is a tad over the top. The shameless commerce aspect seems at odds with the culture (another LA venue is in the works and the owners are soliciting $1,000 from customers for pre-paid food cards to help them open the place.) However, if you don't mind being served nut-laden foods by a hemp-wearing server with a braided beard who chats you up about the countless benefits of wheat-grass juice and reminds you repeatedly that you are "righteous," then you'll find much to be grateful for at Marin's newest and most unlikely franchise.
